that is the kind of -- maybe unintended consequences you get, but you get that when you do that arbitrary picking of numbers. >> i'll lead off questioning and turn it over to anyone who wants to ask. a couple things that strike me in looking at the issue, the constitution, 14th amendment, section 4 says, "the validity of the public debt of the united states shall not be questioned."

you both raised social security and medicare, but jack lew told me a couple years ago that social security long-term is solved and from what people have paid and for some 25 years and medicare for some 10 years and, according to him, and according to federal law, i think they don't even count in the deficit because they are on separate tracks. so i think it would be helpful if you could does clear up, and this is a terrific farm to do it, and these two questions at the constitutionality of the debt ceiling legislation through the house and senate on the pay issue in payment of the public debt in social security, whether

they have enough in their surplus from what people paid regardless of what the government is taken out, or what they have paid in counts. it is count in the deficit numbers picture trying to do something about? who wants to go first? congressman price. >> yeah, the debt ceiling affairs. nobody is talking about paying the data. nobody is talking about not paying the public debt. what were talking about is making sure we get are spending under control so we can create an economy that's vibrant and be able to cover the debt of this great country without the austerity measures we've seen in other countries. so there's two things you got to think about. the debt that's been incurred. yes, the nation is good for that type. and the path forward. are we going to ban that down so they can actually have an economy that is vibrant and

create jobs, or are we going to go as far as the eye can see? you could do some point we physically cannot create the wealth in the country to cover the data. so is it appropriate role? i'm a physician. i'm not a constitutional lawyer. my reading of it says all spending starts with the house of representatives. article i is with the spending begins and where congress has troopers spending. otherwise you have an executive that isn't just instituting carrying out the laws of the land, it is for me the last of the land and that is i don't believe our system. social security, medicare, near and dear. 20 years is the time that social security funds out of my need to be to cover the current promises to beneficiaries at that time. 20 years seems like a long time to a 5-year-old.

to you and its not too long. 1993 was almost a day ago and 15 and it's important that we plan for it because you can't solve it the day before. 10,000 individuals reach a certain age every single day. time does to my generation. baby boomers reach retirement age every single day. social security and medicare are the most predict about economic challenges that we have been were not addressing it. medicare is closer. 24 is when it runs out of money. what happens when it runs out of money? that is a trite phrase, runs out of money. they were not the resources to be able to provide health care toward seniors that have been promised health care enough program. that's absolutely reckless and irresponsible. that's the current course we are on. that's the path of the current law. that is why we played medicare,

medicaid and social security need appropriate restructuring so we can save and strengthen and secure those programs for the individuals that have been promised a spanish face. it's wonderful positively see that they don't keep washington in charge. as a physician will allow patients and parents and doctors to do by making medical decisions and that the federal government. if you think which you want for yourself and your family, it is you and your family and physician to make medical decisions, not somebody else. >> congressman van hollen. >> thank you. first of all, on the debt ceiling issue. ii think that people remember te summer of 2011, you have lots of house republicans who are threatening not to increase the debt ceiling, which means the united states would default on its obligations. it is important to understand

what the debt ceiling is all about. just to provide the ability to pay for bills and obligations already o. wayne, already owing under the law. if the federal government were to wake up and decide not to pay those bills, it would be like any of us getting up after having gone on about things on a credit card and say we've got those things, but we're not going to pay for them. in every sense those obligations has been voted on previously by congress over the years, which is why people say so clearly, don't mess around with the public debt in the u.s. senate because he would have a negative impact on our economy and the world economy. tom mentioned that nobody is suggesting we not pay the public debt. that qualification is important here because earlier the numbers

used for the u.s. over $16 trillion, which was the entire data. the public debt is a little over $11 trillion. there are many of our republican colleagues who have said it's okay for the united states to default on its other nonpublic obligations. and they said that's why they're not going to raise the dead skin because the president will prioritize, pay the bond holders, but it's okay if that means he has to put pressure by not pay another obligations, which includes social security, medicare, payments to troops and other kinds of obligations. i'm not one of those. >> i'm not saying you are. there's a piece of legislation in the house and that is playing with fire and our economy. it's totally irresponsible. so to get to bob's question on the constitutional issue, i don't know the answer. there is a legal answer to that

question. the president's justice department has looked at that. at least so far they don't feel comfortable with that, with concluding that is the way out of it. they may need to look at it more, i don't know. it's a very legitimate question and he pointed to the words in the constitution. what do you pick for compensation, we cannot talk about doing that, but there is a legitimate constitutional concern about changing pay midstream, which is the constitution, something we need to have a constitutional matter. we'll continue to freeze congressional pay us we should and lead by example. quickly on social security and medicare, tom said social security is 100% solvent until the year 2034 thereabouts, meaning trillions of dollars in the trust fund are adequate to fully fund social security after that date. after that day, it's not as if

the trust fund goes to zero. trace adkins to pay 75 cents on the dollar. so yes, we should act, and i agree, we should act sooner rather than later to address the shortfall. the wealthy should not be doing is balancing the rest of the budget on the backs of social security beneficiaries. on medicare, the medicare hospital todd, part i is fully solvent until about the year 2023 at which point it would also pay a 75 cents on the dollar. but it's also important to remember that part d, dr. payments and part d, prescription drugs is not paid for out of a trust fund and not solvency assessment does not apply to them. that is part of our overall budget picture in those funds are part of our whole discussion about the budget deficits and revenues and a very important

piece. just in closing, remember as part of the affordable care act, we actually saved over $715 billion in medicare. this is a much discussed issue in the last campaign, but that's according to the medicare actuary because we ended overpayments, large public subsidies to some of the private payers but then medicare and by achieving savings, it means dollars coming into that trust fund go further and that is why we were able to extend the light of that medicare trust fund, the hospital part a trust fund. we should build on that model going forward. >> great. rebecca, if you want to grab the mic as we roll around. you had your hand up first in the yellow shirt in the back. identify yourself please, who you are with.

>> thank you. andrew taylor with "the associated press." i wanted to ask dr. price, in your upcoming resolution, one of the things about the ryan budget didn't come to balance was because you chose to protect medicare beneficiaries at or near retirement. of which are promising to come to balance, kenya maintained, can you keep that promise, which a lot of their members repeated in the campaign? >> yeah, i think so. the numbers will dictate that obviously in our coolest invention is to get a balanced budget within a 10 year period of time and the reason for that is to send the signals to the markets, yes, that people would get our fiscal house in order and not in and of itself creates economic vitality. whether or not it's exactly the same number of years of the same age, you've got to back into that based upon the equation and numbers coming into the federal government. the baseline we can get we, but

it looks better because the policy of that's been adopted, so it's easier is not the right word, but it's a closer gag to counterbalance with relatively more subtle changes within the policies the government currently is. >> chris, do you want to respond to that also? >> i want to go back to the point i made earlier. this is sort of the economic folly of picking arbitrary were trying to have balance. as i said, the republican budget from last year didn't have balance until 2040, best case scenario without the congressional budget office. so our focus in the question should be what kind of economy to my 10 years from now? what kind of commitments to we want to keep to her seniors and

others and make sure that the deficits in that year are not dragging down the economy and absolutely we should act now to do that. but you know, why lash year hitting balance and 2040 was fine and all of a sudden 10 years is the number is obviously totally arbitrary and those of you who follow this conversation delicate on internal discussions within the house republican caucus over the decision to bump the debt ceiling by three month and an exchange, the speaker made a commitment to a lot of the more conservative members of that caucus that they would hit this target 30 years earlier than their previous -- ash is a 20 years earlier than the previous budget under those rosy assumptions. >> why don't we go right to you. identify yourself. >> i'm roxanna chaump was bloomberg news with a question for dr. price.

he led at the strategy for these budget bills and sequester ncr. the question i have, is there any consideration among house republicans to bring the continuing resolution first before march 1st handset that level of spending that the sequester with that? server that the first? >> the timing for that is less important than the level of spend name. our goal is make certain we continue to responsibly pull discretionary spending, federal spending to the lovely creature of the budget control act of 2011 and that discretion level is about 974. so whether it comes before the sequester is dealt with, if the sequester is dealt with in different than current law it will start my come before march march 27. my preference is sooner rather than later but it's important

for people to know that our desires to make the federal government continues to operate under current spending levels as defined by the sequester. >> front row, right here. >> things, i am a congressional correspondent with the congressional outlook. my condolences for the death of your father. he was a wonderful man. there seems to be vocabulary difference between you two and kind of shows a difference in philosophy. you refer constantly to spending. refer constantly to investments. is there any way republicans can look at some government spending as investments, particularly in infrastructure? and is there some way democrats can look at some spending is perhaps not necessary right now,

that it is overspending for certain interest groups. >> first of all, just in terms of explaining the language of investment, the american people make these kind of investments on their own behalf all the time. people invest in their education. people take out student loans. they borrow money to invest in their education because it will give them a positive return over their lifetime. companies investing capital in equipment. as a country, we need to invest in infrastructure of our roads, bridges, airports, broadband. there's no economist to say you can't get some important return of trade-offs in investments, but these are investments for

the public good and the private sector won't take on. we cannot some partnerships. in terms of spending, the short answer is yes. over the last two years, we've reduced the spending and put a spending cap so for his decisions we'll talk about in terms of greater prioritization over the next 10 years. the discretionary portion of the budget down below the level of the eisenhower as a percent of gdp, that is pretty sequester. so we should look for other. we should constantly evaluate programs and eliminate ones that are not working. on the discretionary side of the budget, that is that the appropriations process is supposed to do. paul ryan and i teamed up on

legislation to put an extra layer of scrutiny. but there's also mandatory spending. a lot of spending is on the mandatory side. i mentioned in my remarks, excessive crop subsidies in agriculture subsidies, which we propose to eliminate as our plan to replace the sequester for this year. >> just as the site now come many subsidies were included in a reconciliation for the reprioritization is sequester. so there is some agreement here. maybe we can use that going forward. folks back home town of a major investment coming out of washington, day care taxes. the federal government can't spend a single dollar that was taken from somebody. appropriately there's a level of tax revenue from the federal government, funds things the

government not to do. what is the role of the federal government? is it an ever expansive government data suggest -- we would suggest has resulted in policies and programs that are having individuals. more poverty, more dependents, lower quality of health care, high energy race. is that the kind of government we want to buy a? is that the government we want to put our money and? i don't think so. we've got to step back and responsibly address those. do we believe there's appropriate things for government to spend money on? absolutely. i didn't support the stimulus package of 2009 because i thought it would do what he did, which is a solo bunch of money and not get remarkable results for our economy. in fact come in at her harmed her ability to come out of the recession. one of the things they could have done had it been spent and

a different way would have been to revitalize the infrastructure of our country. water, sewer, rose, huge investments. but a fraction is used for something resulting in the public goods. so there are things government ought to spend money on an infrastructure is one of them. >> david morgan with readers. i would like to know if you expect the north korean nuclear test to accelerate efforts to get a deal done on the sequester. [inaudible] >> i do have a budget question actually. how much time is there to get a budget deal done before the 2014 midterm election campaign takes over the debate? >> enough. look, i'm really enthusiastic about the opportunities we will

have two contrast the budget that house republicans will pass through both the committee and the forward and i think it will be a bipartisan endeavor. in the first senate budget in the last four years. and hopefully what will come out of that is what i took him out which is a conference committee and the budget. for some of you who have only been paying attention for a short time, that will become a novelty because it hasn't been done. the senate hasn't done a budget. the timeframe you identify is probably through the end of july before the august break and maybe into a little bit of the fall. i'm hopeful we can be said because the challenges are remarkable. if we don't address the challenges, the reason to address financial number issues is not sincere or equal to zero on the page or two equals two. so we can get the economy turned around and tried to project creation. >> on the first part of your

question, it's an important link because the secretary pineda has said, planning for the sequester azhar demands we have to make adjustments, for example an aircraft carrier deployments in certain parts of the world and it was heartening to hear senator mccain suggest sunday that he was one who is willing to look at closing some of the special-interest tax breaks, but that was important to preventing the sequester and making sure we should not see these across-the-board cuts. i went to put myself in the hopeful optimistic and on the second part of your question. if the house passes a budget and has passed a budget the last couple of years, in many ways the budget control act substituted for the budget for the last two years. that at least set the appropriations levels. the word now when he appeared with the senate is going to take

up and pass a budget and then you will go to this other process. that process will include all the disagreements you heard this morning with respect to the right mix of spending cuts and revenue. so again, the issue is whether were going to overcome those differences that have prevented us from moving forward in the past. >> i didn't see the link in your question. i'm impressed. so i'm sorry i cut you off. rebecca in the back row. >> it's actually sort of the same question, but it's so important beyond the rhetoric to get that budget resolution done and accomplished. do you think leadership will push for a? is there anyway to get a conference budget resolution this year?

carry young friend cq. >> look, is there obviously is a theoretical possibility, but i also believe there's more than a theoretical possibility. but the question is again whether or not there's really a willingness on all sides to come together and make the necessary compromises. obviously the white house -- i think the white house would have to be very involved because the budget resolution is simply a non-binding agreement between the two houses. to the extent you have a conference agreement and therefore to make it feel like the budget control act, you need the white house to participate and buy-in. again, you would have a broader discussion than some of the talks i just went on between the speaker and the white house. obviously the leadership would have to engage with the conference committee's if this was to be brought to a

successful resolution. but again, i just want to emphasize the importance of taking a balanced approach, which again is the framework recommended by every bipartisan group that has come together and unless our republican colleagues agree to, you know, joe some of that revenue through tax reform and closing of loopholes, which they talked about during the campaign in terms of the loopholes and which speaker boehner had a proposal. he didn't put it in public, but had a proposal to raise 800 billion in revenue by getting rid of special-interest tax breaks for the coming forward with cuts cuts and the president has said in closing that his proposal he put on the table as part of this discussion is speaker boehner remains on the table. >> i've been doing a lot of reading on budgetary history, which i don't recommend unless you have trouble sleeping of late and then start one of the

common themes through the history of budget set of work do not work and that is the assessment of individuals involved in that its political will at the end of the data gets the job done. so if there is political will and besides it has to come to an agreement on the budget resolution, i think we can do it. chris touched on that. let me just touch on this balanced approach, talk about language, balanced approach. it's always wonderful until it isn't. and the fiscal cliff, i notice our friends on the other side of the aisle embrace the fiscal cliff with great enthusiasm, which had no spending reductions. so it wasn't balanced at all. if you want to talk about a balanced approach, maybe it is catching up to the fiscal cliff to have in fact appropriate spending reductions go forward with the sequester deadline. >> last question, rebecca. go ahead. >> david grant, christian science monitor.

you want to figure out ways to cut things than msn reforms, but there doesn't seem to be a process in place and you just touch on the budget resolution. but what should be willing to commit to the appropriations process when you thought these things down, is that the best way to sort out what is wasteful and are you afraid of the sequester and the debt ceiling could derail some of the political will for actually doing the budget resolution and then going through the appropriations process after that? >> when you say to both of you if you could include your statements also -- [inaudible] who wants to go first? >> let me just start by responding to something that tom just said with respect to the agreement that avoided the fiscal cliff. as i think everybody knows,

there were conversations between speaker boehner and the president and the president had proposed trying to achieve $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction through a combination of cuts and revenue. actually come in at 1.2 trillion revenue and $1.2 trillion in kites if you include the savings on the kites you would achieve at about $900 billion in cuts was a proposal that the president had on the table. speaker boehner obviously concluded he could not sell that agreement to his caucus because of the revenue component. in his guest was borne out by the fact he later could not even past the revenue package through the house of representatives passed millionaires to pay a little bit more. it was that actually ended up at the fiscal cliff agreement. this did not include any taxes

and i should say did not include spending cuts. even at the end, we have a majority of the senate republicans supporting it. we did not get obviously a majority of house republicans. i was about $600 billion in revenue. that comes after the budget control agreements and other agreements that came to 1.5100 trillion% cuts. so as we move forward, 600 billion in revenue, our point is we need to continue to move forward on the model of the bipartisan commissions with a balanced approach and with respect to the appropriations process, yes, we should set the discretionary spending levels. there is a disagreement as to what discretionary spending levels are appropriate to meet the goals we have. i talked about some of them. investing in investigation, infrastructure and research. we should set those levels in

the appropriations committees should prioritize. that is exactly what their job is pure sequester is obviously a totally arbitrary ways, which treats all programs the same regardless of their merits. just to get to appoint tom and i have both made, the appropriations spending of course is discretionary and that represents in total about 40%, less than 40% of the entire budget and so we need to do it the other piece, especially as long-term deficit reduction a way to do in a balanced way. cuts and reforms, but also the revenue side. >> i think we hear the reasons we have to end said it getting ready for lunch. via the concluding word. >> thanks so much. you talk about process in regular order is the process, the routine process of

legislating. >> you can see the last few minutes of this at c-span.org. the state of the union address begins in about a half hour. the u.s. senate gather to take the body to the house chamber for a joint session of congress to hear the speech. we have that live on c-span 2. plus, look at reaction from members of congress statuary hall. [inaudible conversations]

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[inaudible conversations] >> the joint session will come to order. the chair appoints members of the committee on the part of th house, the president of the united states into the chamber. the gentleman from virginia, mr. cantorhy. the gentleman from california,n mr. mccarthy. the javaone from oregon, mr. walton. ,he gentleman from oklahoma,nsas mr. langford. jenna woman from kansas, the ms. jenkins. the gentleman from north carolina, mrs. fox.e gentlewomar

the gentleman from california, ms. pe ms. pelosi. the gentleman from south carolina, mr. clyburn. the gentleman from california, mr. beach area. the gentleman from new york, mr. crowley mr. israel. and the gentlewoman from illinois, ms. duckworth. the vice president: the president of the senate at the direction of that body appoints the following members to escort the president of the united states into the chamber. the senator from nevada, mr. reid, the senator from vermont, mr. lay hay, mr. durbin, mr. schumer, the senator from washington, mr. murray, the senator from colorado, mr. bennett, the senator from michigan, ms. stabenow, the senator from texas, mr. cornyn, the senator from south dakota, mr. thune, the senator from wyoming, mr. berasso, and the

senator mr. moran. the speaker: the members will escort through the chamber doors to the lobby. the sergeant at arms: mr. speaker, the dean of the >> mr. speaker, the dean of the diplomatic corps.

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mr. speaker, the president of the united states. [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause]

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[applause] >> thank you. >> thank you. thank you. >> members of congress, i have the high privilege and dink

honor o presenting the president of the united states. >> thank you very much. thank you so much. thank you very much. >> mr. speaker, mr. vice president, members of congress, fellow americans. 51 years ago, john f. kennedy declared to this chamber that the constitution makes us not rivals for power but partners for progress. [applause] >> it is my task, he said, to

report the state of the union. to improve it is a task of us all. tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the american people, there is much progress to report. after a decade of grinding war, of brave men and women in uniform are coming home. [applause] >> after years of grueling recession, our businesses have created over 6 million new jobs. we buy more american cars than we have in five years. and less foreign oil than we have in 20.

[applause] >> our housing market is healing. our stock market is rebounding, and consumers and home owners enjoy stronger protections an ever before. [applause] >> so, together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis. and we can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is stronger. [applause] >> but we gather here knowing there are millions of americans who's hard work and dedication have not yet been rewarded. our economy is adding jobs, but

too many people still can't find fulltime employment. corporate profits have skyrocketed, to all-time highs, but for more than a decade, wages and income have barely budged. it is our generation's task to re-ignite the true engine of american economic growth. a rising, thriving middle class. [applause] >> it is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country. the idea if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead. no matter where you come from, no matter what you look like or who you love. it is our unfinished task, to make sure this government works on behalf of the many and not

just the few. that it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiative, and opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great nation. [applause] >> the american people don't expect government to solve every problem. they don't expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. but they do expect us to put the nation's interests before party. [applause] [applause] >> they do expect us to forge reasonable compromises where we

can, so they know america moves forward only when we do so together, and that the responsibility of improving this union remains the task of us all. our work must begin by make something basic decisions about our budget. decisions that will have a huge impact on the strength of our recovery. over the last few years, both parties have work together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion. mostly through spending cuts but also by raising tax rates on the wealthiest 1% of americans. as a result we are more than halfway towards the goal of $4 trillion in deficit reduction that economists say we need to stabilize our finances. now we need to finish the job. and the question is, how? in 2011 congress passed a law saying that if bother parties

couldn't agree on plan to reach our deficit goal, about a trillion dollars worth of budget cuts would automatically go into effect this year. these sudden, harsh, arbitrary cuts would jeopardize our military reddiness, devastate priorities like education and energy and medical research. they would certainly slow our recovery. and cost us hundreds of thousands of jobs. that's why democrats, republicans, business leaders, and economists, have already said these cuts, known here in washington as the sequester, are a really bad idea. now, some in congress have proposed preventing only the defense cuts by making even bigger cuts to things like education and job training. medicare. and social security benefits.

that idea is even worse. [applause] yes, the biggest driver of our long-term debt is the rising cost of health care for an aging population, and those who care about medicare must embrace the need for modest reform. otherwise our retirement program will crowd out investment wes need for our children jeopardize the promise a secure retirement for future generations. we can't ask senior citizens and working families to shoulder the entire burden of deficit reduction, while asking nothing more from the wealthiest and most powerful.

[applause] >> we won't grow the middle class simply by shifting the cost of health care or college on to families that are already struggling, or by forcing communities to lay off more teachers and more cops and more firefighters. most americans, democrats, republicans, and independents, understand that we can't just cut our way to prosperity. they know that broad-based economic growth requires a balanced approach to deficit reduction. with spending cuts and revenue. and with everybody doing their fair share. and that's the approach i offer tonight. on medicare, i'm prepared to enact reforms that willey cleave the same amount of healthcare savings by the beginning of the next decade as the reforms proposed by the bipartisan simpson-bowles commission. already the affordable care act is helping to slow the growth of healthcare costs.

[applause] >> and the reforms i'm proposing go even further. we'll reduce taxpayer subsidies to prescription drug companies and ask more from the wealthiest seniors. we'll bring down costs by changing the way our government pays for medicare, because our medical bills shouldn't be based on the number of tested ordered or days spent in the hospital. they should be based on the quality of care that our seniors receive. [applause] president obama: and i am open to additional reforms from both parties so long as they don't violate the idea of secure retirement. our government shouldn't make promises we cannot keep. but we must keep the promises we have already made. [applause]

[applause] president obama: here's the rest of our target. we should do what leaders in both parties have already suggestioned, and save hundreds of billions of dollars by getting rid of tax loopholes and deductions for the well-off and the well-connected. after all, why would we choose to make deeper cuts to education and medicare, just to protect special interest tax breaks. how is that fair? why is it that deficit reduction is a big emergency justifying making cuts in social security benefits, but not closing some loopholes? how does that promote growth? [applause] president obama: now is our best chance for bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform that encourages job creation and

helps bring down the deficit. [applause] president obama: we can get this done. [applause] president obama: the american people deserve a tax code that helps small businesses spend less time fill ought complicated forms and more time expanding and hiring. a tax code that ensures billaires with high-powered account can'ts can't work the system and pay lower rate than secretaries. a tax code that lowers incentive to move jobs overseas and helps manufacturers creating jobs right here in the united states of america. that's what tax reform can deliver. that's what we can do together. [applause] president obama: i realize that tax reform and into it. ment -- entitlement reform will

not be easy. the politics will we hard for both sides. none of us will get 100% of what we want, but the alternative will cost us jobs, hurt our economy, visit hardship on millions of hard-working americans. so let's set party interests aside and pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with wise savings and investment in the future, and let's do it without the bringsmanship that stresses consumers and stairs off investment. [applause] president obama: the greatest nation on earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufacturing crisis to the next. we can't do it. [applause] president obama: let's agree right here, right now, to keep the people's government open and

pay our bills on time. and always uphold the full faith and credit of the united states of america. [applause] president obama: the american people have worked too hard, for too long, rebuilding from one crisis to see their elected officials cause another. [applause] president obama: now, most of us agree that plan to reduce the deficit must be part of our agenda. let's be clear. deficit reduction alone is not an economic plan. [applause] president obama: a growing economy that creates good middle class jobs, that must be the north star that guides our effort. [applause]

president obama: every day, we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation: how do we attract more jobs to our shores? how do we equip our people with the skills they need to get those jobs? and how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living. a year and a half ago i put forthan american jobs act that independent economists said would create more than one million new jobs, and i thank the last congress for passing some of that agenda. i urge this congress to pass the rest. [applause] president obama: but tonight i'll lay out additional proposals fully paid for and fully consistent with the budget framework both party as i greed to 18 months ago. let me repeat. nothing i'm proposing should increase our deficit by a single dime. it is not a bigger government we need but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests

in broad-based growth. [applause] president obama: that's what we should be looking for. [applause] president obama: our first priority is making america a magnet for new jobs in manufacturing. after shedding jobs for more than ten years, our manufacturers have added 500,000 jobs over the past three. caterpillar is bringing jobs back from japan. ford is bringing jobs back from mexico. and this year, apple will start making macs in america again. [applause] president obama: there are things we can do, right now, to accelerate this trend. last year we created our first manufacturing info vacation institute in ohio. a once shut erred warehouse is

now where new workers are mastering the printing that revolutions everything how we make everything. there's no reason this can't happen in other towns. so tonight i'm allowancing the launch of three more manufacturing hubs, business with the department of defense and energy, in the global centers high-tech jobs. and i ask this congress to help create a network of 15 of these hubs, and guarantee that the next revolution in manufacturing is made right here in america. we can get that done. [applause] president obama: if we want to make the best product, we also have to invest in the best ideas. every dollar we invest to map the human genome returned

$140 to our economy. every dollar. today our scientists are mapping the human brain. to unlock the answers to alzheimer's. they're developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs. devising new materials to make batteries ten times more powerful. now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation. now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the space race. we need to make those investments. [applause] president obama: today, no area holds more promise than our investments in american energy. after years of talking about it, we're finally poised to control our own energy future. we produce more oil at home than we have in 15 years.

we have doubled the distance our cars will good on a gallon of gas. and we the amount of renewable energy from sources like wind and solar, with tens of thousands of good american jobs to show for it. we produce more natural gas than ever before. and nearly everyone's energy bill is lower because of it. over the last four years or mission of the dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our planet have actually fallen. but for the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change. [applause] president obama: now, -- [applause] president obama: now, it's true that no single event makes a trend. but the fact is, the 12 hottest

years on record have all come in the last 15. heat waves, droughtsings wildfires, floods, all are now more frequent and more intense. we can choose to believe that superstorm sandy and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildlifes some states have ever seen, were all just a freak coincidence or we can believe in the overwhelming science and act before it's too late. [applause] president obama: the good news is we can make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth. i urge this congress to get together, pursue a bipartisan market-based solution to climate change, like the one john mccain and joe lieberman worked on a few years ago.

but if congress won't act soon to protect future generations, i will. i will direct -- [applause] president obama: i will direct my cabinet to come up with executives actions we can take now and in the future to reduce pollution, prepare our communities and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy. four years ago other countries dominated the clean energy market and the jobs that came with it. and we have begun to change that. last year wind energy added nearly half of all new power capacity in america. so let's generate even more. solar energy gets cheaper by the year. let's drive down costs even further. as long as countries like china keep going all in on clean energy, so must we. in the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power and greater energy independence. weed in to encourage that. that's why my administration will keep cutting red tape and

speeding up new oil and gas permits. [applause] president obama: that's got to be part of the all of the above plan. i also want to work with congress to encourage the research and technology that helps natural gas burn even cleaner, and protects our air and our water. in fact, much of our new-found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, the public, own together. so tonight i propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fun an energy security trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. if a nonpartisan coalition of ceos and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, so can we. let's take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices we have put up with for far too long. i'mles issuing a new goal for america. let's cut in half the energy

wasted by our homes and businesses over the next 20 years. [applause] president obama: we'll work with the states to do it. those states with the best ideas to construction more efficient building will receive federal support to help make that happen. america's energy sector is just one part of an aging infrastructure, badly in need of repair. ask any ceo whether they'd rather locate, a country with deteriorating roads and bridges or one with high-speed rail and internet? high-tech school, self-healing power grids. the ceo of a company that brought hundreds of new jobs to north carolina, said if we upgrade our infrastructure, they'll bring even more jobs and that's the attitude of a lot of companies all around the world. and i know you want these job-creating projects in your district. i've seen all those

ribbon-cuttings. [applause] president obama: so, tonight, i propose a fix-it-first program, to put people to work as soon as possible on our most urgent repairs, like the nearly 70,000 structural deficient bridges across the country. [applause] president obama: to make sure taxpayers don't shoulder the whole burden i'm proposing a partnership to rebuild america that attracts private capital to upgrade what our businesses need most. modern ports to move goods. modern pipelines to withstan a storm. modern schools worthy of our children. let's prove there's no better place to do business than here in the united states of america, and let's start right away.

we can get this done. part of our rebuilding effort must also involve our housing sector. the good news is our housing market is finally healing from the collapse of 2007. home prices are rising at the fastest pace in six years. home purchases are up nearly 50%. and construction is expanding again. but even with mortgage rates near a 50-year low, too many families with solid credit, who want to buy a home, are being rejected. too many families who never missed a payment, and want to refinance, are being told, no. that's holding our entire economy back. we need to fix it. right now there's a bill in this congress that would give every responsible home owner in america the chance to save $3,000 a year by refinancing at today's rates. democrats and republicans have

supported it before. so what are we waiting for? take a vote and send me that bill. [applause] president obama: why would we be against that? [applause] president obama: why would that be a partisan issue? helping folks refinance. right now, overlapping regulations keep responsible young families from buying their first home. what's holding us back? let's streamline the process and help our economy grow. these initiatives in manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, housing, all these things will help entrepreneurs and small business owners expand and create new jobs. but none of it will matter unless we also equip our citizens with the skills and training to fill those jobs. [applause]

president obama: that has to start at the earliest possible age. you know, study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. but today fewer than three in ten four-year-old are inflowed a high-quality preschool program. most middle class parents can't afford a few hundred bucks a week for private preschool, and for poor kids, who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives. tonight, i propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every single child in america. [applause] president obama: something we should be able to do.

[applause] president obama: every dollar we invest in high-quality early childhood education can save more than seven dollars later on by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime. in states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like georgia, or oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of their own. we know this works. so let's do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already hip. let's give our kids that chance. [applause]

president obama: let's also make sure that a high school diploma puts our kids on a path a good job. right now countries like germany focus on graduating their high school students with the equivalent of a technical degree from one our our community colleges. so those man kids are ready for a job when they graduate high school. they've been trained for the jobs that are there. now it's school like p-tech in brooklyn arco lab operation, between new york public schools and city university of north carolina and ibm, students will graduate with a high school diploma and an associates degree in computers or engineering. we need to give every american student opportunities like this, and four years ago, we started race to the top. the competition that convinced almost every state to develop smarter curricula and higher

standards. all for about 1% of what we spent on education each year. tonight i'm announcing a new challenge, to redesign america's high schools so they better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy, and we'll reward schools that delve now partnerships with colleges and employers and create classeses in science, technology, engineering and math. the skills today's employers are looking for to fill the jobs that are there right now, and will be there in the future. now, even with better high schools, most young people will need some higher education. it's a simple fact. the more education you've got, the more likely you are to have a good job and work your way into the middle class. but today's skyrocketing costs, price too many young people out of a higher education. or saddle them with unsustainable debt. through tax credits, grants, and better loans, we have made

college more affordable for millions of students and families over the last few years. but taxpayers can't keep on subsidizing higher and higher costs for higher education. colleges must do their part to keep costs down, and it's our job to make sure they do. [applause] president obama: so tonight, i ask congress to change the higher education act to affordability and value are included in determining which colleges receive certain types of federal aid. and tomorrow, my administration will release a new college score card that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria. where you can get the most bang for your educational buck. now, to grow our middle class, our citizens have to have access to the education and training that today's jobs require.

we also have to make sure that america remains a place where everyone, who is willing to work, everybody who is willing to work hard, has the chance to get ahead. our economy is stronger when we harness the talent and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants, and right now -- [applause] president obama: -- leaders from the business, labor, law enforcement, faith communities al agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform. now is the time to do it. now is the time to get it done. [applause] president obama: now is the time to get it done. applause president obama: real reform means stronger border security, and we can build on the progress my administration

has already made. putting more boots on the southern border than at any time in our history, and reducing illegal crossings to their lowest levels in 40 years. real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship, a path that includes passing a background check, paying taxes and a meaningful penalty, learning english and going to the back of the lined behind the folks trying to come here legally. and real reform means fixing the legal immigration system. to cut waiting periods and attract the highly skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that will help create jobs and grow our economy. [applause] president obama: in other words, we know what needs to be

done. and as we speak, bipartisan group friday both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, and i applaud their efforts. let's get this done. send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months and i will sign it right away and america will be better for it. let's get it done. let's get it done. [applause] president obama: but we can't stop there. we know our economy is stronger when our wives, our mothers, our daughters, can live their lives free from discrimination in the work place and free from the fear of domestic violence. today the senate passed the violence against women's act that joe biden originally wrote almost 20 years ago, and i now urge the house to do the same. [applause]

president obama: and i ask that congress declare that women should earn a living equal to their efforts, and finally pass the paycheck fairness act this year. [applause] president obama: we know our economy is stronger when we reward an honest day's work with honest wages. but today a fulltime worker, making the minimum wage, earns $14,500 a year. even with the tax relief we have put in place. a family with two kids that earns the minimum wage still lives below the poverty line. that's wrong. that's why i said the last time

this congress raised the minimum wage, 19 states chose to bump theirs even higher. tonight, let's declare that in the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works fulltime should have to live in poverty and raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour. [applause] president obama: we should be able to get that dub. -- get that done. president obama: this single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families. it could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank. rent or eviction. scraping by or finally getting ahead. for businesses across the country it would mean customers with more money in their pocket. and a whole lot of folks out there would need less help from government. in fact, working folks shouldn't have to wait year after year for the minimum wage to go up while

ceo pay has never been higher. so, here's an idea that governor romney and i actually agreed on last year. let's tie the minimum wage the cost of living so it finally becomes a wage you can live on. [applause] president obama: tonight let's also recognize that there are communities in this country where, no matter how hard you work, it's virtually impossible to get ahead. factory towns decimated from years of plants packing up. inescapable pockets of poverty. urban and rural. where young adults are still fighting for their first job. america is not a place where the chance of birth or circumstance should decide our destiny. and that's why we need to build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class for all who are willing to climb them. let's offer incentives to

companies who hire americans who got what it takes to fill the job opening but have been out of work so long no one will give them a chance anymore. let's put people back to work rebilling vacant homes and rundown neighborhoods, and this year my administration will begin to partner with 20 of the hardest hit towns in america to get these communities back on their feet. we'll work with local leaders to target resources, and public safety, and education, and housing. we'll give new tax credits to businesses that hire and invest and will work to strengthen families by removing the financial deterrent to marriage for low-income couples and do more to encourage fatherhood, because what makes you man isn't the ability to conceive a child. it's having the courage to raise one. and we want to encourage that. we want to help that. [applause]

president obama: stronger families. stronger communities. a stronger america. it is this kind of prosperity, broad, shared, built on a thriving middle class, that has always been the source of our progress at home. also the foundation of our power and influence throughout the world. tonight we stand united in saluting the troops and civilians who sacrifice every day to protect us. because of them, we can say with confidence that america will complete its mission in afghanistan and achieve our objective of defeating the core of al qaeda. [applause]

president obama: already, we have brought home 33,000 of our brave service men and women. this spring our forces will move into a support role, while afghan security forces take the lead. tonight i can announce that over the next year, another 34,000 american troops will come home from afghanistan, this drawdown will continue, and by the end of next year, our war in afghanistan will be over! [applause] president obama: beyond 2014, america's commitment to a unified and sovereign afghanistan will endure. but the nature of our commitment will change. we're negotiating an agreement with the afghan government that

focuses on two missions. training and equipping afghan forces so the country does not again slip into chaos, and counterterrorism efforts that allow us to pursue the remnants of al qaeda and their affiliates. today the organization that attacked us on 9/11 is a shadow of its former self. [applause] president obama: it's true, different al qaeda affiliates and extremist groups have emerged from the arabian peninsula to africa. the threat these groups pose is evolving. but to meet this threat we don't need to send the ends of thousands of our sons and daughters abroad, or occupy other nations. instead we'll need to help countries like yemen, libya sew mallarch provide for their own security, and help allies that take the fight to terrorists as we have in mali, and where necessary,, through a range of

capables, we'll continue to take direct action those terrorists who pose the greatest threat to america. [applause] president obama: as we do, we must enlist our values in the fight. that's why my administration has worked tirelessly to forge a durable, legal, and policy framework to guide our counterterrorism effort. throughout we have kept congress fully informed of our efforts. i recognize that in our democracy, no one should just take my word for it that we're doing things the right way. so the months ahead i will continue to engage congress to ensure not only that our targeting, detention, and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with our laws and system of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent for the american people and to the world.

[applause] president obama: our challenge don't end with al qaeda. america will continue to lead the effort to prevent the spread of the world's most dangerous weapon. the regime in north korea must know they will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international obligations. provocations of the sort we saw last night will only further isolate them as we stand by our allies, strengthen our missile defense, and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats. likewise, the leaders of iran must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution because a coalition stands united in demanding they meet their obligations, and we will do what is necessary to prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon. [applause]

president obama: at the same time, we'll engage russia to seek further reductions in our nuclear arsenal and continue leading the global effort to secure nuclear materials that could fall into the wrong hands, because our ability to influence others depends on our willingness to lead and meet our obligations. america must also face the rapidly growing threat from cyberattacks. applause president obama: now, we know hackers steal people's identity and infiltrate private e-mails. we know foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets. now our enemies are seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid 0, financial institutions, our air traffic control system. we cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real

threats to our security and our economy. that's why earlier today i signed a new executive order that will strengthen our cyberdefenses by increasing information sharing and developing standards to protect our national security, our jobs and our privacy. [applause] president obama... but now congress must act as well by passing legislation to give our government a greater capacity to secure our networks and deter attacks. this is something we should be able to get done on a bipartisan basis. president obama: even as we protect our people, we should remember that today's world presents not just dangers, not just threats, it presents opportunities. to boost american exports. support american jobs. and level the playing field in the growing markets of asia.

we intend to complete negotiations on a transpacific partnership, and tonight i'm announcing well launch talks on a comprehensive transatlantic trade and investment partnership with the european union, because trade that is fair and free across the atlantic supports millions of good-paying american jobs. [applause] president obama: we also don't know that congress in the most im've veryished part odd of the world enriches us all. it creates new markets and more stable order in certain regions of the world and also because it's the right thing to do. in our many places people live on little more than a dollar a day. so the united states will join with our allies to eradicate such extreme poverty in the next two decades by connecting more people to the global economy. by empowering women, by giving

our young and brightest minds new opportunities to serve, and helping communities to feed and power and educate themselves, by saving the world's children from preventible deaths and by realizing the promise of an aids-free generation which is within our reach. [applause] president obama: you see, america must remain a beacon to all who seek freedom during this period of historic change. i saw the power of hope last year in rangoon, in bur -- burma, when thousands of burmaees were on the streets.

i want our country to be like that in defense of freedom, we'll remain the anchor of strong alliances from the americas to africa, from europe to asia. in the middle east, we'll stand with citizens as they demand their universal rights and support stable transitions to democracy. [applause] >> we know the process will be messy. and we cannot presume to dictate the course of change countries like egypt. but we and can will insist on respect for the fundamental rights of all people. we'll keep the pressure on a syrian regime that has murdered its own people, and support opposition leaders that respect the rights of every syrian, and we'll stand steadfast with israel in pursuit of a lasting peace and security.

[applause] president obama: these are the messages i'll deliver when i travel to the middle east next month. and all this work depends on the courage and sacrifice of those who serve in dangerous places at great personal risk. our diplomats, our intelligence officers, and the men and women of the united states armed forces. as long as i'm commander in chief we will do whatever we must to protect those who serve their country abroad and we will maintain the best military the world has ever known. [applause]

president obama: we'll invest in new capables, even as we reduce waste and wash time spending. we'll ensure equal treatment for our military, and equal families for gay and straights. [applause] president obama: we'll draw upon the courage and skills of our sisters and daughters and moms, because women have proven under fire they're ready for combat. we will keep faith with our veterans, investing in world class care, including mental health care for our wounded warriors -- [applause] president obama: supporting our military families, giving our

veterans the benefits and education and job opportunities they have earned. i want to thank my wife, michelle, and dr. jill biden for their continued dedication to serving our military families as well as they have served us. thank you, honey, thank you, jill. [applause] president obama: defending our freedom, though, is not just the job of our military alone. we must all do our part to make sure our god-given rights are protected here at home. that includes one of the most fundamental rights of a democracy, the right to vote. [applause] president obama: when any

american no matter where they live, or what their party, are denied that right, because they can't afford to wait for five or six or seven hours just to cast their ballot? we are betraying our ideals. [applause] president obama: so, tonight i'm announcing a nonpartisan commission to improve the voting experience in america, and it definitely needs improvement. i'm asking two long-time experts in the field, who, by the way, recently served as the top attorneys for my campaign and for governor romney's campaign to lead it. we can fix this. and we will. the american people demand it and so does our democracy. [applause]

president obama: of course, what i said tonight matters little if we don't come together to protect our most precious resources. our children. it has been two months since newtown. i know this is not the first time this country has debated how to reduce gun violence. but this time it's different. overwhelming majorities of americans, americans who believe in in the second amendment, have come together around common sense reform. like background checks that will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun. senators -- [applause] president obama: senators of

both parties are working together on tough new laws to prevent individuals buying guns for resale to criminals. prognosis chief chiefs are asking us to get weapons of war and magazines off the streets. they're tired of seeing their guys and gals being outgunned. each of these proposals deserves a vote in congress. [applause] president obama: if you want to vote no, that's your choice. but these proposals deserve a vote. because in the two months since newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from

a gun. more than a thousand. one of those we lost was a young girl named hadiya pendleton. she was 15 years old. she loved fig newtons. she was a majorette, she was so good to her friends, they all thought they were her best friend. just three weeks ago she was here in washington, with her classmates. performing for her country at my inauguration. and a week later, she was shot and killed in a chicago park after school. just a mile away from my house. hiadiyas parents are in the chambers, along with 2,000

americans whose lives have been torn by violence. they deserve a vote. they deserve a vote. >> they deserve a vote. [applause] president obama: gabrielle giffords deserves a vote. the families newtown deserve a vote. the families of aurora deserve a vote. the families of tucson and blacksburg and the countless of other communities ripped open by gun violence, they deserve a simple vote. [applause] president obama: they deserve a

simple vote. our actions will not prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. in fact no laws, no initiatives, no administrative acts will perfectly solve the challenges tonight. but we were never sent here to be perfect. we were sent here to make what difference we can. to secure this nation, expand opportunities, uphold our ideals through the hard, often frustrating but absolutely necessary work of self-government. we were sent here to look out for our fellow americans. the same way they look out for one another. every single day. usually without fanfare, all across this country. we should follow their example.

we should follow the example of the new york city nurse named menchus sanchez. when hurricane sandy plunged her hospital into darkness, she wasn't thinking about how her own home was faringful her mine was on the 20 precious newborns in her care and the rescue plan she devised that kept them all safe. we should follow the example of the north miami woman named desaline vicar. when she arrived at her polling place she was told the wait to vote might be six hours, and as time ticked by, her concern was not with her tired body or aching feet, but whether folks like her would get to have their say. hour after hour, a throng of people stayed in long to support her, because she is 102 years old. and they erupted in cheers when she finally put on a sticker that read, "i voted."

[applause] president obama: publish. [applause] [applause] president obama: there she is. president obama: we should follow the example of a police officer named brian murphy. when a gunman opened fire on a sikh temple in wisconsin. brian was the first to arrive and he did not consider his own safety. he fought back. until help arrived. and ordered his fellow officers to protect the safety of the fellow americans worshiping inside.

even if he lay bleeding from 12 bullet wounds. and when asked how he did that, brian said, that's just the way we're made. that's just the way we're made. we may do different jobs. and wear different uniforms, and hold different views than the person beside us. but as americans we all share the same proud title. we are citizens. it's a word that doesn't just describe our nationality or legal status. it describes the way we're made. it describes what we believe. it captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and a future generation. but our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others and that

well into our third century as a nation, it remains the task of us all, as citizens of these unitees states, to be the authors of the next great chapter of our american story. thank you, god bless you, and god bless these united states of america. [applause] [applause] [applause] [applause]

[applause] [applause] applause [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

[inaudible conversations] >> the president is still in the house chamber working his way out, and some of the things he called for, higher minimum wage, new medicare reform, some tax reform, he issued a cyber security order and a new war on poverty, and gun control measures. we're live on c-span2 and we are in the next room from the old house chamber, known as statuary hall, and we'll be joined by

congressmens to get reaction. we'll begin with the new chairman of the house judiciary commitey, republican of virginia. what did you hear in the president's speech you agree with? >> i certainly agree we have a broken immigration system and we need to have reform. we're a nation of laws and we're a nation of immigrants and we have to find something that works for america and is fair. however, i think we need to take a cautionary note and look at the fact that this administration has a poor record of enforcing our immigration laws and securing our borders, and that, i think, is something that has to go hand in hand with any effort to bring millions of people out of the shadows and have some kind of legal status. we also have to assure the american people that we will change the way the immigration system works and our enforcement works so it doesn't happen again. the last time we did this, that was the promise, it was not fulfilled and we have an even greater problem today.

>> do you foresee hearings in the judiciary commitey? >> yes, we started hearing on the legal immigration issue that the president referred to, and on the enforcement issue, and now starting in two weeks, we'll have a very long series of hears on all the different aspects of legal and enforcement immigration reform. everything from everify, the system by which employers can be assured they're hiring people lawfully in the country to opportunities for people with degrees in engineering engineerh and science to agricultural worker programs, number of different issues when you deal with immigration reform. >> one issue you have been concerned with sighber security. the new executive order, what are your thoughts? >> we're still studying it but we thing congress needs to act to empower the private sector, where the great ideas are going to come from to make sure that

our computer network, our communications systems, are secure around the country. it's not going to be resolved by presidential edict or by bureaucracies trying to come up with the best solutions. that's going to become possible only by empowering the great mines in the private sector. so elsewhere have legislation similar to what we bassed through the house last congress and i hope we can get it to the president's desk this time because cyber security should be a concern for every american. >> bob goodlatte, we appreciate your time on c-span2 following the president's state of the union speech. now joining us is a democrat from illinois, dan shikokwsi. i want to start, what's the ribbon you have on tonight? >> this is in memory of the

children killed at sandy hook school. i also had a mom in the gallery from illinois who lost her 19-year-old son, and activist to prevent gun violence. i saw her crying when the president was saying that we need a vote on these important gun safety measures. i was also thrilled because i'm on the energy and commerce committee, and he talk about climate change and basically challenged the congress and said if you don't do something about it, will, and i think that's exactly the kind of urgency we need on this issue. and finally, let me say, when he says we should raise the minimum wage to $9 an hour, and like mitt romney, who also felt it should be indexed to the cost of living every year, i thought that was fabulous. that's what we need to do to help jump start our recovering

economy. >> did you have a chance to talk with your colleague, senator mark kick in i saw him on the floor, the president greeting him. >> i didn't. i'm so happy that mark is back. i bet he had rehab along with people who are victims of gun violence. i have not talked item about it but i hope he can help us in a bipartisan way. >> overall, the tone of the president's speech. >> well, he was very strong. he was very self-assured, and he was very optimistic. this is very different than the first inaugural state of the union when we were in such economic troubles. we're now in the midst of a fragile but real recovery, so things are looking better. you can feel that in his speech. >> january schakowsky; you're watching our live state of the union coverage in statuary hall, you're watching c-span2 and on c-span we're taking phone calls

and talking with other folks. you can watch c-span or c-span2 as we continue our live coverage. well, a new member is now joining us here, and his name is dan kildee, and if that name is familiar, there was a long-time member from michigan named kildee as well. >> he is my uncle. my predecessor and my uncle. >> representative kildee, your first state of the union. what did you think? >> it was refreshing to hear a big message, especially in the context of what has been happening since i was sworn in. deadlines that focus on the match nations of government and not which direction we want to take this country. thought we got from the president was an agenda that deal wiz the fiscal problems we face but reminds us our job. our job is to lead and chart a path that doesn't just get the math right but also creates a

vision for how we rebuild manufacturing, rebuild our cities, make sure there's a floor of decency below which no american should ever fall. >> tell us about your district in michigan. >> well, it's an old industrial district. actually pretty diverse. i have flint, inaguration bay city, old industrial communities, i also have agriculture and shoreline so it's microcosm of what the entire country is facing. in this message i found something that i think is important to everybody any district. >> what's the unemployment raid in your district? >> it's really high. i don't have the figure in front of me but three or four points above the national numbers and it's been a chronic unemployment, so long, we lost 90% of our manufacturing jobs. so, not just the unemployment rate but the fact that combined with unemployment, we have had significant wage losses. people who used to make 25 or $30 an hour, now just barely

getting by on that minimum wage. so that's why ain't important we not just grow jobs but grow wages again. i saw that in the president's speech. that's really important point. >> you agree with me minimum wage -- >> absolutely. i think that's a basic standard we ought to be able to apply across the board and i was happy to see the president being willing to show leadership on the minimum wage. >> representative kildee, i think i saw a quote this morning in the washington post from your uncle regarding sitting in the aisle, weighing -- waiting for the president. what was the quote and did you do that? >> no. i stopped by the house' and some thought i arrived to replace dale on the aisle, but i love my uncle, and i want to do honor to his service, but i'll sort of tread my own steps as i go into congress. >> representative dan kildee, new member of congress from the fifth district of michigan. you're watching c-span2, live coverage of the state of the union speech. this is the president's fifth

state of the union. we're in statuary hall and it's very crowded in here with members of the media and members of congress being interviewed by local television stations and national television stations. this room that we're in, just off the house chamber, serves as the house of representatives for 15 yemplets 1807 to 1857. president madison, john quincy adam, monroe, and fill more, and andrew jackson were all inaugurated in the room that we are in. and we're now join by just a second termer from florida, his name is dennis roth, and he is a republican from the 15th 15th district. mr. roth, overall, the tone of the president's speech. this is your third or fourth state of the union, correct? >> correct mitchell -- correct. my fourth one -- my third. the tone was moderate and i mean that he was correct. we can't cut our way into prosperity by cutting our spending. but what we needs to say is to

go further and say we can grow our way into prosperity, and the only way to grow into sprues spirit is if we give some incentives to bring back the jobs to america and bring back investment to america that creates jobs. one thing he talked about was the simpson-bowles act. it has taken him three years to bring it up. i filed a bill memorialaalizeing the plan. i think we need to reform or tax system and eliminate tax loopholes and exemptions, create on incentive so business will thrive again in this country. this president today talked about wanting to become part of the middle class. i was born and raid at the lower end of the middle class. i never aspired for middle class but what i believe if government would get out of the way i would have chance to good beyond middle class, and we need too set our sights so much higher. our president has done a lot to bring government into our lives. i think we need to bring inknow vacation, entrepreneurship,

light the pilot light of our creative imagination that has been part of the american exceptionalism. this president missed the mark but not accentuating the american exceptionalism. i think it was moderate speech. i think we have long way to go and bringing us together is the most important thing this president can do and not dividing us. >> one of your fellow floridians was in the audience. >> i take the right to vote so very sincerely, and we have seen -- especially in florida in 2000 when he had the debacle, we saw how important the right was, 102 years. as citizens and americans i think it's followal to see somebody like that was being recognized by our president. >> thank you for your time this evening, representative ross.

and from florida to the other coast, judy chu, a democrat from california, is your district? >> pasadena. the western part of the san gabriel valley in los angeles. >> how would you describe the economic health of your district and did the president address some of the economic issue you have? >> the president emphasized we must have a thriving middle class and we have to make sure that everybody has access to higher education, that education leads to job, and re also said we must put money back into infrastructure and repairing all those projects needed for to us turn around this economy, and this is critical for us to move ahead as a nation. >> which the commitees do you

serve on? >> i'm on judiciary and small business. i so appreciated the fact that he gave such great emphasis to immigration reform. that will be taken up by our committee. our committee also has gun violence prevention, and i thought that his vision for helping victims was very compelling and very passionate. we must make sure that these victims have the vote they deserve. >> representative, you're wearing a green ribbon. what's the feeling about gun control measures in your california district? >> it's so important to stop the violence, and many people say to me, enough is enough. now is the time to have background checks for everybody. now is the time to stop having these great, large rounds of ammunition in magazines that can

allow for 20 kids to be shot at newtown. >> representative chu, thank you for your time this evening. on c-span. >> thank you. >> and senator marco rubio is delivering the response to the president's state of the union address. if you want to tune that in. you can tube that in on c-span right now. in a little later this evening, we're going to show you marco rubio's address in spanish. and that's just a little bit later as we continue to do interviews with members of congress here in statuary hall, just off the house floor. the president has finally made his way out of the chamber, and he is working his way back to the white house now. members of congress are joining us here in statuary hall. representative renee elmer is a

republican of north carolina. representative, overall, what is it about the president's speech that you found compelling? >> well, i'll be honest and say that it really don't think he was focusing on the issues that greater america is concerned about today. we're concerned about the debt. he is not addressing the issue. he talked about plans for manufacturing, energy, but he notice laying out a plan how to pay for it. those are the issues america is looking for. and he needs to be the leader to bring us along in that effort. >> he talked a little bit about tax reform. what did you think about what he had to say and where would you take tax reform? >> i want to hear more from the president. you know, here in congress, in the house of representatives, the republican conference is committed to considerable tax reform. across the board. i want to hear what the president has to contribute to that. is he really is serious about

tax reform, let's get to work. we'll be working with him. >> congresswoman, who were you sitting with in the chamber. >> two of the new freshman from north carolina. great guys, ready to work. ... the english version on c-span. here is senator marco rubio in spanish. [speaking in spanish]

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giving the president's response to the strewn address in spanish. you can see it on in english on c-span.org. we are live in the hall for more interviewsviews with members of congress. right now we're speaking with republican steve, of louisiana. chairman of the republican study committee. >> out of population of 232 republicans that are in the house right now. 200 democrats. there are three open seats. even though we are starting the new congress. jim scott, republican of south carolina moved to the senate and then joe ann emson has retired. she was a republican from missouri. and finally jesse jackson junior's seat he resigned his seat as well. and scott is a member of congress from colorado, republican. mr. tip ton, was there anything there that you agreed with the

president? >> i think what the president was talking about getting our people back to work to be able to develop american energy resources here at home. important for my district. we have better than 20% unemployment. we have to be able to get our people back to work. we'll embrace that and we need make sure that we're having washington not being -- [inaudible] with that and steppingstone to create that type of success. >> why 20% unemployment? >> right now we are heavily developing in the terms of the natural resources. natural gas, oil, uranium, coal in our area. all of these have having challenges when it comes to federal government regulation and our ability to be able to extract the resource and a lot of public lands. we want to make sure we do it in a environmentally sensitive way as our governor from the state of colorado, democrat john

hickenlooper said we can create them win-win at home with the regulations. >> congressman tipton, we appreciate your time this evening on c-span. >> as we continue to get -- as we try to get reaction from members of congress, to what the president had to say. by the way, there are of the 435 seats in congress, this year, there are 84 freshman in the class, and one of the freshman is representative mac cart -- cartwright a democrat of pennsylvania. tell us about your district. >> pennsylvania 17 is a brand new district. it's comprised of the city of scranton and eastton and city of carbon dale and a lot of fairly urban areas in northeastern pennsylvania. highly democratic district and one i was proud to win on

november 6th. >> first state of the union speech. what was your impression? >> i know i probably speak for most of my fellow 49 freshman democrats representatives when i say it was a thrilling moment for all of us to attend the first state of the union address by president obama first one for us. what we saw the president do was return to what, i think is really a message of -- hope. something that sets apart the great presidents from the rest of them because the great presidents are carrier of a message of hope. they are the people like franklin roosevelt who told us the on thing to fear is fear itself. in the same way president obama is exhorting us to move forward with this country, to build up that great engine of our economic strength in this

country. the middle class. and he gave us specific ways to build up the middle class. everybody knows that to make the middle class as strong as it can be, we need make education a top priority in this country. session the thing that helps the poorest among us climb to the middle class. education is the thing that helps the middle class achieve greatness each individually. what we saw tonight with president obama, i think it was three or four times mentioned the phrase middle class that great engine of the strength of the american economy. >> mr. cartwright, what committees are you serving on? >> the natural resources committee, and proud to be on the oversight and government reform committee as well. >> we appreciate your time. pleasure to meet you this evening. >> thank you very much. >> thank you.

[inaudible conversations] >> and from pennsylvania. one of the republican leaders in the house is lynn jenkins republican of kansas. congresswoman jenkins, you have been to a couple of these speeches. how did it rank for you when it comes to president obama's state of the union speech? >> i actually agreed with him on the top priorities of getting the american people back to work, you know, stoking the the economy, getting our debt and deficit under control. i disagree on him how to get there. >> how would you get there? >> well, the republicans have had a budget the last two years, something the senate hasn't done for four years. and passed out of the house and this year we are busy building our budget that will demonstrate how to do that fundamental comprehensive tax reform on the

tax side and some major reforms and overhauls to save our safety net programs and our autopilot spending programs. we'll do that and balance in a ten-year window and so we will have actually have a plan, you know. the president sent up budget the last couple of years that no one will vote for. ..